Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships

Ekow Nimako

This tour runs April 10 – May 20, 2024 at Glenbow, Second Floor, 150 9 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3H9

Curated by Alyssa Fearon
Organized by Dunlop Art Gallery

Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships continues artist Ekow Nimako’s afrofuturistic reimagining of ancient African kingdoms. Using LEGO® bricks as his medium, Nimako explores the mysterious 14th century sea voyage of the predecessor of Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire. According to legends, Abu Bakr II was an intrepid explorer, abdicated his throne and took 2,000 ships on an expedition into the Atlantic, but was never to return or heard from again. Some accounts suggest the massive fleet reached as far as the Americas, but where they went beyond this is still unknown.
Combining architecture, historical accounts, and fantastical possibilities, Nimako transcends the geometric form of LEGO® to recreate the epic voyage. And in doing so, he presents an uninterrupted and uncoopted narrative of Black civilizations and imagines liberated futures.

Ekow Nimako is a Toronto-based, internationally exhibiting LEGO® artist who crafts futuristic and whimsical sculptures from the iconic medium. Rooted in his childhood hobby and intrinsic creativity, Nimako’s formal arts education and background as a lifelong multidisciplinary artist inform his process and signature aesthetic. His fluid building style, coupled with the Afrofuturistic themes of his work, beautifully transcend the geometric medium to embody organic and fantastical silhouettes.

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